Cochin University College of Engineering Kuttanad

Campus Location: Alappuzha

Located in Looking back to the eventful history of the Cochin University College of Engineering Kuttanad (CUCEK), Pulincunnu would invoke a mixed feeling in the mind of a CUCEK lover. The only one of its kind in the locality around, it has the capacity to grow beyond a mere Engineering College or a University Department. Offering four engineering under-graduate courses, it has been initiated under the aegis of the CUSAT on 21st October 1999 as a University own department outside its main campus, in the picturesque piece of land in Pulincunnu, Alappuzha district. Being formally inaugurated on 25th of October 1999 in the presence of Syndicate members including Dr. K C Joseph, the then MLA of Kuttanad and the visionary behind it and Sri. James K. J., the Special Officer of CUCEK, the College began its academic activities in rented buildings which belonged to the St. Mary’s ITC, Pulincunnu and the St.Joseph’s HSS, Pulincunnu. There were 192 students in four B.Tech branches, Computer Science and Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Information Technology and Mechanical Engineering in the first batch (1999-2003). The faculty members were deputed from the Centre for Undergraduate Studies in Engineering (now, the School of Engineering), CUSAT and recruited on contract basis. The experience and guidance from many of the senior faculty members benefitted the student and junior faculty community of the College., The College flourished into an institution offering six undergraduate (B.Tech) programs in Engineering (Civil, Computer Science, Electrical and Electronics, Electronics and Communication, Information Technology and Mechanical Engineering) and a post graduate program, Master of Computer Applications (MCA), within four years of its inception. An educational institution of this kind offering many technical and professional courses and admitting students from all parts of the country and initiated in a place remote from the main transportation system and townships had to face many hardships, in the recent past. But, if it is viewed from a global perspective, it could be noticed that the best educational institutions were groomed up in rural areas which are away from distractions and pollution which are part of urbanization. Kuttanad has been a place which is surrounded by many water bodies, like lakes and rivers and with limited land transportation network. It could not offer much to education including schooling, in the past. But, given the agriculture-based living of people, pollution-less atmosphere, availability of abundance of land, encouragement and enthusiasm of the people around, possibility of research elements, like soil, water, environment, structures, appropriate technologies, etc. a catalytic development of the institution is very much promising. The institute is standing tall in the middle of the historical rice bowl of Kerala in spite of minor elements of pulling down.. Use Google Maps for turn-by-turn driving directions to the campus.